davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
Boulanger and the Sneak Thief.

The interest attaching to the recent ac-
tions of the French Minister of War, NJ.
Boulanger, recalls an experience that Of
fetal had with thief while sojourning
in Philadelphia during the Yorktown Gel
ebration in 1881. NJ. Boulanger was at
the time guest at the Continental Ho-
tel, and one night awakened to find a
thief in the act of securing his watch
from the bureau. The General lost no
time, but jumping from the bed and seiz-
ing his sabre, held the intruder at bay
while calling loudly for "gcndarme. :"
The regular officer of the house was sent
up by the clerk, but as he was not in full
uniform NJ. Boulanger refused to surren-
der his prisoner to him. A patrolman
was sent for, and upon his arrival the
thief was delivered into custody. He was
escorted to headquarters, given hearing
and Immediately sent into court, where,
before noon, he had been tried, convict
ed and sentenced to five years in the East
ern Penitentiary. NJ. Boulanger was as
tonished at the rapidity with which the
officials of American cities dealt with
their criminal classes. He intended sail
ing for home the day following the at
tempted theft, but had concluded to miss
one steamer rather than have the thief es-
cape punishment, and the promptness
with which the fellow was railroaded
formed the subject of letter of thanks
to the Chief of Police from the Minister.
The fellow served his full term, less the
usual communication on account of good
behavior while in prison.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
A Novel Cavalry Review.

General Boulanger, says the ST. James's
Gazette, has just been holding cavalry
review of novel kind. A score of cor
porals from the Joinvillc training school
went through their evolutions before him
mounted on magnificent vclocipedes.
The composition of the little troop rcsem-
bled that of the regular mounted force of
the country, the bicyclists representing
the light, the tricyclists the heavy cavalry.
The French War Minister has decided to
have certain proportion of the men in
the infantry regiments trained to the use
of the velocipede, the utility of these ma
chimes for the transmission of orders and
the interchange of communications be-
tween the different divisions of an army
having been satisfactorily established in
practice. Their employment will, for one
thing, leave all the horses of the force
available for the work in which their SER
vices arc indispensable. The bicycle has
been found to give better results on the
whole than the tricycle., and it is proba-
bic that some form of the two-whceled
machine will be defnitively adopted for
general use.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06

A Texan Shoots Four Assailants
and Escapes Cnhurt.

4 Texan Shoots Four Assailants
and Escapes Cnhurt.
Walter Ridgeley, wealthy farmer living
twenty miles north Of Texarkana, Texas,
ihot and killed two ferrymen recently for try
hg to collect exorbitant charges from a st.
Louis drummer.
The legal fee for ferriase is fifty cents, but
The drummer was charged S., when ne re-
fused to pay His baggage was seized anu
Ridgeley interfered in his behalf.
The ferry1nen denounced and lnsuited the
farmer and attempted to draw their weapons,
when Ridgeley shot them both dead. Upon e1-
animation Ridgeley was discharged immedia-
tely John Murphy q brother OF one OF the men
killed. and the ether dead mans uncle swore
they would kill Ridgeley on sight. The other
night Ridgeley was returning home on morse
back from a neighbor's and on entering strip
of woods was fired on from ambush. Inc
horse fell dead, but, although the saddle was
riddled with bullets, Ridgeley escaped un-
harmed and rolled over on the op-
posite side Of the horse to that from
which tho firing proceeded. The two would
be murderers, who were none other than the
uncle and brother mentioned, thinking that
Ridgeley was dead, approached. When within
about ten feet Ridgeley suddenly rose up and,
with his revolver, shot both assailants dead
in their tracks. He surrendered, but the jus
tice refused to accept his arrest, as ths case
was one of self-defense and the community
declared that no examination was necessary.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06

"a half-breed named Nicholas Chatte-
lain has just been found at Dog Head,
Lake Winnipeg, who was a contemporary
of Tecumseh, the great Indian chief, ia
NOUS in connection with the war of 1912"
says a writer in the Wisconsin State Jour.
nal. "Chattelain is now ninety-fvc years
of age, but still erect and active in his
movements. In his youth he must have
been magnificent man physically, stand
ing six feet three in his stockings, and
gifted with great strength and endurance.
He belonged originally to Sault Ste.
Marie, but being in the vicinity of De-
troit when the war of 1912 broke out, he
Joined the British army and served under
Brock at the storming of Detroit. He
then allied himself with Tecumseh, and
followed that chiefs varying fortunes in
his war with Harrison until his defeat and
death at Thamesville. At the close of
the war Chattelain returned to the upper
lakes, where he pursued the vocation OF
q boatman and hunter in the service OF
the Hudson Bay Company. For his ser.
vices in the field and council he was given
a pension by the Dominion Government
of $3.50 year.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06

The Cincinnati Enquirer has received
''privately from the Rev. DR.. Bolles OF
Cleveland, to whom Mr. Beecher himself
told it," the following story about Mr..
Beecher's early method of physical exer-
else: "His means were then small and
his domestic surroundings very modest.
But he had clean, dry, and roomy cellar.
He procured to be delivered there load
of sand. One day he shoveled it from
one end of the cellar to the other; and
the next day he shoveled it back to its
old position. This he continued until
his brother Tom discovered it, and drove
hlm to the more intelligent and whole
some exercise of the gymnasium"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
THE NATIONAL GAME.

RosEMAN, Of the Metropolitans, has been
released to the Athletics for $3.50. -
THE Detroit Club have signed Briody, the
catcher of the defunct Kansas City Club. =
THE Washington team ought to be q steady
one, as it numbers no Less than seven married
men. +. ...' - ~ Sd
THE Colored National Baseball League has
adopted schedule Of forty games to be played
by each Of the six clubs sf
BRoUTHERs, the big first base man OF the
Detroits, gives 1t as his opinion that the
pitchers will get much the worst Of the new
rules.
THE Cincinnatis (AmericaIl Association
have closed their Southern trip and returned
home, and the Philadelphia League team has
gone South. =,
RADBoURN, pitcher Of the Bostons, says he,
doesn't think there will be any more batting
under the new rules than the old ones. HiE
idea is that what some players lose the others
will make up. He thinks the game Will be
longer than formerly. T. ),
TwITCHELL, pitcher Of the Detroits, Is de-
voting considerable time to practicing the
feat Of making a motion to throw to first
base, as if to catch base runner, and then
turning quickly to deliver the ball to tho
catcher. It must be done very neatly or it
will constitute balk.
FAULrLESS fielding distinguished the play
of one side in no fewer than 156 games be.
tween professional clubs last season, including
the Brooklyn Metropolitan game, April "a;
BRIDGEPORT Waterbury, May IS; Newark
Bridgeport, July 8, and Newark W Waterbury,
September Is, in which no errors were made
by either side.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
LATER NEWS.

THE New York Assembly has passed the
bill providing for high license in New York
and Brooklyn.
THE trial Of ex-Alderman Cleary, charged
with selling his vote to grant the Broadway
horse-car company a charter, ended in New
York on Wednesday with disagreement Of
the jury, six standing for conviction and six
for ac9uittal. The testimony introduced was
substantially the same as that which had re-
suited in the conviction Of "Boodle" Alder
men McQuade and O'Neill.
EXTENSIVE frauds have been unearthed in
connection with the failure of James and
John Hunter, Philadelphia print manufactur
ers. Forged notes for large amounts have
come to light.
THE Chattanooga Land, Coal, Iron and
Railway Company has been organized with
capital Of s12,00O,0O0. The organizers own
$4,000 acres of valuable mineral lands, and
propose to acquire all the undeveloped lands
in the vicinity.
The schooner George S. Richardson, of
Snow Hill, Nd, capsized in Chesapeake Bay,
and the crew of five men were drowned.
The Treasury Department has issued the
14Sth call for the redemption of bonds. The
CALI for $10, ,OOO, 900 of the per cent loan Of
1882, principal and accrued interest to be paid
on May /.
CANADA's latest plan is to prevent Ameri-
cans from going to the Hudson Bay fisheries.
OWING to the severe weather more than
thirty per cent. of the cattle in the ranges
west of Winnipeg, Manitoba, have died.
A BRITISH war ship has captured two
alavers, with a cargo of sixty slaves each,
going to Jeddah in the Soudan.
SEVENTY miners were killed by an explo'
sion in q colliery at Sydney, New South
Wales.
WHILE a Methodist Episcopal donation
party was in progress in the Stillville On. ~
schoolhouse, the floor gave way, and ten or
twelve persons were severely injured.
MRS. JOHN FARNHAM died the other day
in Utica On. ~ hospital at the age OF 1oS
years.
The President has appointed Oscar S.
Straus, New York city merchant, to be
Minister to Turkey.
SEVERAL gigantic railroad consultations
are likely to follow the enforcement Of the
Interstate Commerce law.
GERMANY has refused to participate either
in the industrial or art sections Of the Paris
International Exhibition Of 1889.
A MONTREAL dispatch announces that Sir
John Macdonald, the head Of the Canadian
Government, is to shortly resign the Premier
ship and 60 to England as High Commis-
sioner. He will then be elevated to the peer
age, and return to Canada and become the
successor to Lord Lansdowne, whose term Of
Office as Governor-G General of Canada will
soon expire.
FIFTEEN Anarchists are on trial in Vienna
for conspiring to burn the Austrian capital.
The evidence shows that only the failure Of
the plot saved the city from almost total
destruction.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
It is commonly said that Mr.. Spofford,

1t is commonly said that Mr.. Spofford,
the Librarian of Congress, knows some
thing about the contents of every volume
in the library. This means that he has
slowed awoy in moderate sized head
600, volumes Of various sizes and
bindings. 4 member of Congress face
tiously said: stI don't read books, read
Spofford." In that way, he added, he
got the whole library at one glance. A
figure of speech, but not as broad as it
sounds. If member or Senator wants
quotation that cannot be found in any
of the "Familiar Quotations." and is Of
very obscure origin, he goes to Mr.. Spot
ford. If he wants the best authority on
any subject, or, indeed, if he wants to
learn anything that may be found in any
of those thousands of volumas, he goes
to the same source. Members seldom
think Of looking at the catalogues.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
A respectable workingman who will

A respectable workingman who will
endeavor to pass himself off for thief in
order to get something to eat, must be
pretty hungry. And yet this is just what
occurred in Glasgow not long since.
Cards of admission to supper of "beef-
steak pie and plum pudding, specially fo1
thieves" were given to $50 men. Each
card bore the inscription: "This supper
is only for men who have been convicted
of theft" On the reverse side of the card
was notice for sensitive thieves, who de-
sired not to be recognized, as follows:
"should any wish to enter the hall with,
out being observed, they may do so by
the back door, entering by old Exchange
Court nearer the Cross" An ex-thief
stood guard at the door, and allowed only
thieves of reputation to enter, and yet
scores of hungry laborers endeavored to
obtain admission, willing to call them
selves thieves to get a good meal. 1t is
a peculiar form of charity that thus in a
measure rewards crime, for no pretense
was made of restricting the gathering to
penitent thieves.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC,

THE famous composer Gounod Is engaged
on new opera, whose subject is Joan OF Arc.
ANNA DICKINSON says she would like to
play Zenobia to the Aurelian Of MIR. Wilson
Barrett.
MRS. LANGTRY will appear at the Fifth
Avenue theatre, New York, next September,
in two new plays. ...
MARY ANDERSON will produce new po.
etical drama by Lord Lytton during her ten-
ancy Of the Lyceum.
PH1LADELpH1A's Beethoven Memorial Asso
citation, will erect monument to the com.
poser, in Fairmomt Park, to cost about Sl0,.,
0O0 .
MIsS AMY SHERwIN, who has has made O.
success at concerts in London, is under con.
tract to Boston Manager for tour OF the
United States.
NINE. BERNHARpr has a high opinion Of
Modieska as an actress, and in a recent inter
view she is made to say that she Is the great
est actress living.
Miss ARMA SENKRAH, the young American
yiolinist. has just completed q successful con-
cert tour on the Continent, having given
sixty-eight concerts in all '-
NINE. PAULINF LUCIA, tho famous singer,
after a starring tour through Russia and Rou.
mania, is going to appear next month in Ger
man opera at Stockholm.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
THE DEVOURING FLAMES.
Eighty Cottages and Boarding
Houses Consumed.

Eighty Cottages and Boarding
Houses Consumed.
A fire at the Chautauqua Assembly
Grounds, near jamestown, N. Y, on Sunday
night, destroyed eighty buildings, including
several large boarding houses, among them
the Eckert and Parkhurst and Alling houses.
The total loss will probably exceed $lO0,o oCo.
The fire started shortly before midnight In tho
CurtiSs cottage OIL Simpson avenue. caused
by defective fine. 1t swept everything De-
fore it, taking both sides of Simpson and SUM-
merville avenues from the Auditorium to tho
Hotel AthcnGum 1t was with great difficulty
that the hotel was saved. Six cottages on
Asbury avenue were also burned. The ab'
scence of high wind alone saved from de-
struction the large aud costly structure. :,
The heroic work of the winter residents AMI
farmers from the surrounding country un-
doubtcdly prevented the destruction Oh inc
entire Assembly with its costly buildings and
saved 500 cottages from total destruction. All
the cottages and boarding houses in the burned
district were furnished, and very little furlil,
ture was saved. Many OF the burned
cottages on Simpson avenue were rebuilt laSt
year. This was the most fashionable avenue
Of the grounds. The cottages cost from
5000 to $15,N0 each. The magnificent Tor"
est trees shading the streets were destroyed:
No casualties, other than the proStratlon Ok
several residents from over-exertlon, ore re-
ported
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06


A Pennsylvania farmer near Phoenix
vile is waging a successful war on the
ground hog, which as every farmer knows,
does much damage to meadows. His
method is to fill large beer or porter
bottle with powder, letting a fuse run
through the cork. He then places the
bottle in the ground hogs hole, with the
fuse projecting outside, taking care to
pack the earth tightly at the mouth OF
the hole and close up firmly all other
holes leadingto the home of the doomed
tnimal. Then the fuse is fired, and the
result is that all the ground hogs in the
hole are killed by the conclusion.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06

A stale swindle, which consists in Of.
fering new machinery to farmer on easy
terms, and getting him to sign a paper
which processes to be an order, but turns
out to be note for a considerable sum,
has not, it appears, yet become obsolete.
The latest case is of man who processes
to sell tool-sharpeners, and humbugs the
innocent farmers into signing note fol-
1924, payment of which is afterward de-
manded by third party. Moral: Never
put your name to any document which
you do not thoroughly understand, and
never place yourself in the power of a
stranger.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
NEWS SUMMARY
Eastern md Middle States.

ALFRED SULLY, the New York financier, is
reported to have failed to exercise his option
of buying q controlling interest in the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad from President Gar
rett Messrs Ives and Stayner, of New
York, arc said to have secured the option on
the same terms as were given to Mr.. Sully
A NATIONAL dairy and cattle show will be
held in New York City from May 10th to l4th
inclusive. Extensive prizes for the best cat
tie, butter and cheese, etc., will be offered.
DAVID CLARK, of Stratford, Conn, has pre-.
sentcd his farm of 10S acres to tho Hartford
Hospital and Old Peoples Home as monu-
ment to his son.
A DESTRUCTIVE fire has swept through the
Chautuaqua Assembly grounds near James
town, N. Y, destroying the new and mag
nifcent hotel, Children's Temple and Amphl-
theatre and more than fifty cottages
JANIToR TrrUs, sentenced to death for the
murder Of Tillie Smith at Hackettstown, n.
j., has had his sentence comnuted to impris-
onment for life.
FIVE leading members Of the New York
knights of Labor have been arrested on
charges of conspiracy preferred by the fore
man of shoe factory who was discharged
upon their demand.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
preserves,

The farmers life, according to care
fully prepared statistics in Massachusetts,
is longer than that engaged in any other
occupation. He lives on an average
sixty-fve years, while the highest average
at any other business is ffty-six years.
This longevity, says the Cultirator, is not
due entirely to his out-ef-door life, for
some other outdoor workers are not long
lived. But the farmers outdoor work is
mostly in pleasant weather. In storms
he keeps pretty closely indoors, thus
showing the great advantage not only OF
knowing enough to go in when it rains,
but of having business which allows
him to do so.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
SINGULAR ACCIDENTS.

A CITIZEN of Valdosta, Ca, was chopping
kindling wood in his kitchen a few evenings
ago, when piece of it flew up and hit him on
the nose, breaking the nasal bone. He fell
senseless to the floor, and was weak from tho
loss Of blood when found.
WHILE Louis Gott was hunting near Pal
myra, Mo-, he received violent blow on tho
side OF the head which made him dizzy for O
few moments. When he recovered he saw
prairie chicken limping away, and he thinks
it was the chicken that struck him.
Mrs. GORDON, living near Mariana, Ark.
sent her little daughter Clara out to milk the
COWS. When the pail was full the girl
reached over to pick it up, but slipped and
fell headlong into the milk The warm
fluid almost choked her, and she came near
dying before she could be resuscitated..
AUNT KITTY Mcdowell, of Tazewell
County, ILL.,, suffers great deal from rheu-
matiSm in the feet and ankles, and to relieve
the affected parts she bathed then recently
in camphor and black oil. Afterward, while
she was sitting near the fire, the stuff ignitei,
and her feet were terribly burned before the
flames could be extinguished.
A GEORGIA man stood looking at rapidly
moving circular saw in q planning mill at
Ocean Pond. and carelessly threw small bit
of wood against it. In an instant the stick
was hurled back with great force against him,
striking him Squarcly between the eyes and
knocking him to the floor. He remained I'M
conscious for several hours and hos reminder
of the accident in tho shape of an ugly wound
in the forehead.
DURING the progress Of recent fire in
Chicago pipeman was standing on ladder
directing q stream into the second-story
window, when, in some way, the hose got tho
better of him and turned SO that the stream
struck him in the chest The force of the
water knocked him from the ladder against n
sign, bruising him badly on the hips. He
struck the sign SO hard that he reboundcd
caught the ladder and still retained his hold
on the hose.
EDWARD HERR1CK. q street-car conductor,
living in Auburn, K. l., wanted To solder q
hole in his wifcs wash hoilrr and used what
he supposed to be an old soldcring-iron that
had lain around the house for years He put
the iron in the fire and was Scraping the rust
from the boiler when there was an explosion
that scattered the stove in all directions and
set fire to the house. HcrIick has learned
since that the supposed soldering-iron was q
railroad torpedo.
WHILE Joseph Ninters, an employc at one
Of the Negley's Run pa oil refineries, was
riveting a boiler few days ago, the he'd Of
enc of the iron rivets flew off and tore a hole
in his check causing great deal Of blood to
flow. A physician who was summoned
probed for tho iron, but was unable to find it
until his attention was called to a small lump
on the injured mans back, between the
shoulder-blades. 'Surmising that the lump
contained the rivet-head, he cut it open and
extracted tho substance The iron had made
its way down along the muscles Of the neck,
a distance Of nearly foot.